The iPad Mini sports a screen just under 8 inches and a price of $329. And when it debuts Nov. 2, it will not enter a vacuous 7-inch tablet market. Its opponents compete on price, ecosystem, performance and features. Each offers something unique.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0

The good: The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 delivers a mostly pure Android 4.0 experience. The tablet also trumps the Kindle Fire in extras by including dual cameras and TV remote-control functionality. The bad: The screen doesn't look as pretty as other PLS displays, and its camera performance is lacking.

Amazon Kindle Fire (2012)

The good: The 2012 Kindle Fire improves on its predecessor in three key ways: faster performance, a better interface with cool new features and a big price drop. The bad: Designwise it's the same Fire from 2011 with no HD video support, no camera, no HDMI, and no volume buttons.

Amazon Kindle Fire HD

Advertisement

The good: The Amazon Kindle Fire HD has a most impressive-looking 7-inch tablet screen, its speakers deliver killer sound and its refined interface is the best gateway to Amazon content for Prime members. The bad: Performance is sluggish at times and the Fire HD is less comfortable to hold than the Nexus 7. The curated app store means many apps and games are not available.